Chapter 355: Deaf Selling His Paintings
Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
Qin Mu wasn't too sure. There were some scholars from the demon race in Imperial College, since in comparison to the other sects, Imperial College didn't stick to a single pattern when recruiting disciples. As long as the person passed the test, they could become an imperial scholar.
Because of that, there were quite a lot of women in Imperial College, taking up almost half of the placings. They would usually become officials in the various parts of Eternal Peace, while some would go to the army to become generals.
However, the books behind the adorable little girl were all arranged neatly, which was usually Hu Ling'er's style.
Yet she couldn't read a single letter, so it was impossible for her to be bringing a bunch of books everywhere she went. It wasn't the style of the little demon fox.
The little girl didn't see Qin Mu and parted ways with the other scholars. She didn't walk towards Divine Arts Residence, but instead went down the mountain. Qin Mu waited outside Hall of Array Elements for a few moments more, but no one else walked out from inside.
'Yuxiu said Ling'er was listening to a lecture in Hall of Array Elements, but there are no more people in the hall, she must have been that little girl earlier. She changed shape?'
Qin Mu was stunned. 'The Great Demon King of Great Ruins really deserves death. Ling'er is so young and yet he wanted to marry her.'
He went down the mountain with puzzlement in his heart. 'If she is Ling'er, where is she going if she's not returning to Divine Arts Residence?'
He followed up secretly and saw that the little girl with three tails skipped down the mountain. Then she suddenly sprawled onto the ground with an "Aiya!" and crawled forward two steps with her hands and legs. Shaking her three tails, she stood up after a bit. She tried to take a step and sprawled onto the ground again.
Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He saw the little girl glancing around, and when she saw no one around, she began running with her hands and feet. She went skipping and swaying her tails to and fro, pleased and proud of herself.
She had to have morphed not long ago and still wasn't accustomed to walking on two legs, thus she would trip once in a while when walking like a human.
After morphing, she looked like a little girl but was still more agile when running with her arms and legs instead of two legs.
Hu Ling'er walked out of Imperial College and went toward the city. However, since there were people walking around, she stood up again and skipped, her three tails behind her swaying around to keep her balance.
Bathump.
Qin Mu saw the little girl plunging face first into the ground again, her tails rising straight up. Her tails then twitched and drooped downward.
"It really isn't fun being a human…"
The little girl pouted and crawled up. She sneakily went behind an old tree, and a small snow white fox came out in a bit. It ran forward like a wisp of smoke with her three long and furry tails.
Her speed was much faster than before, and she soon came to the Garden of Rare Treasures in the capital. On her way, she bought some food and weighed some fruits.
Garden of Rare Treasures was a fair for secondhand goods. It sold antiques and cultural relics as well as rare treasures and even spirit weapons. Scholars that were down and out would sell stuff like calligraphy and ancient books.
'Is Ling'er coming here to sell books?' Qin Mu was bewildered. He saw Hu Ling'er transforming back into a little girl when she came to the Garden of Rare Treasures and carefully weaved through the crowd. She used a spell to lift her books above the fair.
After coming to the Calligraphy and Painting Street, the little girl let out a sigh of relief and looked around. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she sprinted toward one stall.
Behind it was an old scholar who was down and out. His face was covered by a beard while he squatted in a corner with his arms folded. His head was lowered, revealing two silver-colored iron ears.
Behind him were a couple paintings and some calligraphy while at the front of the stall there were a few scrolls laid out. The four corners of the stall were held down by rocks so that it wouldn't be blown away.
"Grandpa Deaf, how many paintings and calligraphy have you sold today?"
Hu Ling'er came to the back of the stall and placed down the food and the fruits.
Deaf immediately stuffed himself without raising his head. "I haven't met anyone who knows how to appreciate my painting. You have come at the right time, I'm starving."
"Grandpa Deaf should sell his paintings in front of Imperial Preceptor's manor, that man will definitely be willing to buy them at a high price."
When Hu Ling'er said this, she suddenly recalled something and became vexed. "Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor also has no money. His wife has just given birth to a son and ordered Elder Fu to send an invitation to young master, but since he wasn't around, I was the one that went there. Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor wasn't around as well, and the banquet was very unpresentable; there was only meager fare.
"The mother and son are going to starve until their faces turn pale. I heard it's because Imperial Preceptor is fighting a war, and since the treasury was almost depleted, he donated all his savings. My heart softened for a moment, and I gave madam a huge red packet, for which she began to bother me by wanting young master to be the godfather of their son… Only when the emperor heard of their situation did the mother and son were finally able to be satiated by the money scrimped and saved by the palace."
"A man can be poor, but his integrity can't be poor. Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor is truly my soul mate," Deaf said.
Hu Ling'er pouted at him.
Deaf took out some paper and said, "I have written some words with dotted lines, you just have to trace them."
The little girl placed the papers on the ground and planned to dip the brush in ink when Deaf said, "Don't use ink, just trace the brush over the dotted line. In that case, you can practice for a few times. Let me read your books first, I'll explain them to you later."
Hu Ling'er knelt on the ground and traced Deaf's writings very seriously.
"I would like to buy a painting."
Hu Ling'er heard a voice speak and couldn't help being surprised and delighted. She immediately raised her head to see a youth standing in front of the stall.
"Young Master!"
This little girl leaped to her feet and pounced into Qin Mu's embrace. Just as he caught her, the little girl transformed back into a white fox to wiggle out of his embrace and coil around his neck.
She was in a hurry when she jumped out and overturned the ink which tainted a few papers. Deaf immediately tidied them up, grumbling, "Ling'er, you're too naughty, these papers are also bought with money, but now they are dirtied…"
"Grandpa Deaf!"
Qin Mu laughed loudly and wrapped his arms around Deaf without any warning, hugging him forcefully. Deaf wasn't used to it and tried to break free while replying insipidly, "You've come."
"Grandpa Village Chief has also come!" Qin Mu said excitedly.
Deaf's face blackened and he snorted. "He is also out? Is he here to see me being a joke?"
Qin Mu knew his ego was strong and smiled. "Village Chief is in Imperial College. Pack your stall, Grandpa Deaf, follow me back."
Deaf shook his head. "I can make a living by selling my paintings, I don't need you to raise me. I shall prepare New Year goods in two months' time. I will draw paintings of door gods which will definitely sell."
Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He took down Hu Ling'er who was snuggling around his neck and stroked her head with a smile. "Ling'er is learning how to read from Grandpa Deaf? Do you recognize the words in the books?"
Hu Ling'er transformed back into a little girl and smiled sweetly. "I recognize them, it's just that I don't really know their meaning. I've been running here frequently to ask Grandpa Deaf to teach me."
Qin Mu put her down, his gaze bright. He said, "Grandpa Deaf can't sell his paintings like this, there are not many that know what they are worth after all. Besides, painting and calligraphy are valued in a flourishing period while gold is valued in troubled times. With the disasters in the past two years, there aren't many rich people. If you want to sell, you need to use some tricks."
He put away all of Deaf's painting and calligraphy, piling them at one side as he raised his brush to paint.
As he did so, butterflies flew out from the paper and flew around the stall. Sparrows then followed out and began to chirp around, attracting the passers-by who clicked their tongues in wonder.
Qin Mu continued painting, and more and more birds started to fly out from the paper. There were bramblings dancing in the sky, and even a huge swan which flapped its wings to fly out. Its wings were seven to eight feet long when spread out and made everyone exclaim in admiration.
Deaf sneered and said, "Show off! I'm not Blind, that frivolous fellow, I have no need to show off like this. Those who know worth will naturally know what's worthy, I won't sell to those that don't even if they beg me!"
Qin Mu ignored him and another rainbow-colored phoenix came flying out from the paper. It roamed around Calligraphy and Painting Street to attract even more people.
Qin Mu raised his brush to draw a door god, and it actually also jumped out from the painting. He had a tall and large body that inspired people with awe, causing everyone to have no choice but to move back!
"Your skill is not there yet!"
Deaf became angrier and angrier the more he saw and snatched the brush over. He raised it and also drew a door god, Instantly, the awe of a god and a devil burst forth and caused everyone in the street to move back continuously as they saw a god of three hundred yards standing up. He had red phoenix eyes, dragon beard, as well as a divine blade at his waist that could vanquish all evil. It looked extraordinary mighty.
"This is a door god!"
Deaf raised his brush, and the door god instantly fell back down. It was still on the painting in vivid detail. Meanwhile all the butterflies, birds, phoenix, and door god that Qin Mu had drawn changed back into splotches of ink that fell on the ground.
Who had the higher skill and who had the lower skill was clearly shown.
Qin Mu exclaimed in admiration along with everyone in the surroundings. There were instantly people who came forward wanting to buy the door god. When they said their prices, they immediately blew Deaf's mind. He had been selling paintings here for over two months, and if it wasn't for Hu Ling'er who had found him, he would have starved to death. That's why he didn't expect for a single painting to be sold at such an astonishing price.
Hu Ling'er also jumped in shock and immediately went forward to haggle the price. Even if it was actually several times higher than that of the dragon saliva which had really made them speechless.
One painting from Deaf could earn enough for him to live out the rest of his life luxuriously.
Hu Ling'er sold the painting of the door god and took the money. She then immediately scrolled up the other paintings and Qin Mu opened his taotie sack for her to stuff them all inside.
The two of them looked at each other and blinked. Their hearts were thinking of the exact same thing.
Rare commodity was worth hoarding. If they sold too much, it would become worthless.
Qin Mu immediately pulled Deaf away and smiled. "Grandpa Deaf, now that we have money, let us buy some good quality fabric to make a few sets of new clothes for you before eating a good meal. We can meet Village Chief after that. One more thing, I met a painting path that was completely different from yours on the ship from Carefree Village. What you paint is the world which lets all things walk out of the painting while the painting path of Carefree Village is a world within the painting."
Deaf was originally not willing to leave with Qin Mu, but when he heard what he said, he was instantly moved. He asked, "World within the painting? There's actually such a painting path? Tell me about it in detail!"
Qin Mu went to buy good fabric in the cloth shop and tailored it personally to make a few sets of clothes for Deaf. He then took out Pig Slaughtering Knife to shave his beard and trim his hair, grooming the old man to be clean and tidy before bringing him back to Imperial College.
He then said, "Grandpa Deaf, if you could join your painting path with the world within the painting, you would definitely be able to take another step forward. Imperial Preceptor asked me to forge Sunshot Divine Cannon, and this also needs Grandpa Deaf's brush. You will need to first paint the Sunshot Divine Cannon!"